Steam oil-well auger



H. L. MlzvUl-'sL-EE4 STEAM OIL WELL AUGER Filed Au'g. 1'1. 192s Seph .23 @92% M1113 7 w\ \\\w w 5 Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATESN HENRYr L. MODUFFEE, OF GILROY, CALFORNIA.

STEAM OIL-WELL AUGER.

Application filed August 11, 1923. Serial No. 656,892.

To all fio/tom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. MoD Urrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gilroy, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam Cil-Well Angers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in o-il well boring apparatus and resides in the provision of an auger-like tool for boring lin deposits of asphaltum, and the like with the aid of live steam, the otiice of which steam is to melt or soften the asphaltum or like mate-rial, whereby the well boring operation may be expeditiously carried on.

An object of the invention is to provide a steam auger of the character described from which jets of live steam are laterally directed in order to melt obstructing deposits of asphaltum or like substances, whereby the lowering of well casing will be expedited, the auger being of novell construction and such as to effectively remove substances in the bore which would obstruct the lowering of the casing.

Another object is to provide boring apparatus of the character described wherein the steam pipe leading down the well bore to the auger will heat the casing and thus facilitate the lowering of the casing, there being lateral steam discharge openings at different levels in said pipe.`

Another object is to provide apparatus which will simplify and lesse-n the cost of boring oil wells in asphaltum deposits.

With the above mentioned and other objects 'in View, the invention consisits in the novel construction and combination of partsl hereinafter described, illustrated in the ac companying drawings, and set forth in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the sco-pe of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invent-ion.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a fragmentary vertical section of the apparatus of' my invention showing a part of a well `casing through which the device is lowered.

Fig. Qk is a top plany view of the. auger, showing the casing in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of awell showing a part of the apparatus ofi my invention in side elevation and the manner of use of the same.

Referring to the embodiment of the inve-ntion shown in the accompanying drawing, l designates a steam pipe line adapted to be lowered in the bore of a well within a casing 2. The steam pipe line is connected with a source of live steam supply, not shown, and through the expediency of any suitable means which will provide for turning of the pipe line, and at its lower end is connected with an auger or operating tool 3. This tool comprises a. hub-like body portion l which is connected with the lower end of the pipe line and terminates at its lower end in a pointed projection 5, the upper end of which is enlarged as at 6 and closes the lower end of the body portion and 'is held in place by a fastening element 7. Extending laterally from one side of the body portion l is: a projection 8 formed integral with which is an arcuate blade-like scraper member 9. On the other side of the body 4 is a supporting blade or shaft 10 on which is pivoted at one vend as at 11, an arcuate scrap-er 12 correspending to the one 9. A rod 13 is connected to an upstanding men'ib-er 14ion the scraper 12 and slidably extends through a lug 15 on the portion 8. The rod is screw threaded as at 16. on its outer' end and has a nut 17 mounted o-n said screw threaded end. The nut acts as a stopto limit the movement of the rod and through this means, the movement of the scraper 12 on .its pivot, is likewise limited. The length of the rod 13 is regulated by adjusting the nut and the arrangement 'is such that although the scraper 12 may be swung outward to a. limited extent. dependent on the length of the rod, it will be swung inward so that it may be readily moved up and down in the casing. The upper edge of the scraper, on its outer side, 'is beveled or chamfered as at 18, so that on trying to bore into the casing when the scraper 12 is projected outwardly, this chamfer-ed edge will contact with the lower end of vthe casing and cause the member12 to be moved inwardly, whereby the tool may be drawn upward through the casing. The body portion 4l, just below the plane of the scraper meml is provided with laterally disposed steam discharge openings 19 for directing lateral jets lof live steam against the sides of the bore of the well and against any obstructions to the casing, which obstructions are asphaltum-like and are subject to being softened or melted by the live steam.

ln addition to these discharge openings, the steam pipe line is provided at differentlevels With lateral discharge openings for directing :ets of steam against the casing. This ivill heat the casing so that the lowering thereof in asphaltum or like deposits will be facilitated. By thus directing the steam against the casing and into the bore below the casing, the apparatus is heated so that its lowering in asphaltum deposits is facilitated and any asphaltum obstructions below the casing will be softened or melted and due to the action of the sera-per members, so disposed as to offer little or no obstruction to the lowering of the casing.

At the upper end of the steam pipe line, or in other Words, at the top of the Well bore, a handle member 2l of any suitable construction is clamped on the pipe line and by grasping this handle, the rotation ofthe pipe line and tool thereon may be readily effected to assist in the boring operation.

I claim:

l. A steam oil Well auger comprising a pipe line for conveying steam into the bore of a Well, an auger on the lower end of the pipe line having scraper members thereon and provided with means for causing lateral jets of steam to be directed from said auger. said pipe line'having a plurality of steam discharge openings at spaced points arranged to direct jets of steam into the bore of the Well to heat the casing.

2. A steam oil well anger comprising a pipe line for conducting steam into the bore of a Well, an auger on the lower end of the pipe line having lateral steam discharge openings arrr-nged to direct jets of steam against the sides of the bore of the well, and means for turning said pipe line and auger, said pipe line having throughout its length steam discharge openings for cansing jets of steam to heat the well casing which is extended into the bore of the well.

3. A steam oil Well auger comprising a steam pipe line adapted to extend into the bore of a well, an auger attached to the lower end of said pipe line and comprising a fixed scraper blade and a pivoled scraper blade, means for regulating the movement of the pivoted scraper blade, said anger having a central power portion provided with means for directing lateral jets of steam therefrom against the sides of the bore of the Well.

4.. A. steam oil ivell anger comprising a. steam pipe line adapted to extend into the bore of a well, well easing in the bore of the Well through which said pipe line adapted to extend, an. auger on the pipe line having scraper blades, one of wbirh is laterally extensible, and a beveled portion on the extensible blade adapted to engage the lower end of the easing on the lifting of said auger in the bore of the well whereby said blade will extend inwardlv and permit Withdrawal of the auger through the casing.

HENRY L. MUDUFFEE. 

